Several readers have recently point out a new device from Matterport.com that is apparently in beta that will allow you to scan a room and make a 3D model of it by just walking through the room and scanning it. Matterport introduced their new device at Y Combinator which is a startup funding event. Matterport claims to be able to scan an object 20 times faster and 18 times cheaper than the competition.

gizmag.com reports that: “Matterport turns reality into 3D models and the scanner is 20 times faster and 18 times cheaper than any other tool on the market,” Matterport co-founder Michael Beebe claimed at the Y Combinator 2012 demo day at the end of March. And though that claim might be pushing it slightly – 3D scanners have been around for the better part of two decades – the technology demonstrated in Matterport’s demo video is remarkable. The handheld scanner, which at first glance might be mistaken for a Kinect sensor, is simple waved at the object or interior environment to be scanned in such a way as takes in the object’s entire surface. The technology is not only speedy, but also easy, apparently requiring no precision in use.”

On the question of price Mashable reports that: “While Matterport hasn’t set a price for the product, it will begin distributing to beta testers next month . Matt Bell (Matterport’s founder) says it won’t be prohibitive to consumer 3D enthusiasts.”

A device currently available that will do the same thing (Leica Geosystems) prices start at $50,000. While the most obvious demand for this kind of device is the gaming industry, one source (I can’t remember which) that I ran across while researching this, claimed that someone in the real estate industry is involved in the upcoming beta test.

This sounds encouraging, but of course the devil will be in the details and the pricing.

9 Responses to “Technology is On The Way That Make Greatly Simplify Making Floorplans”

Hmm… I’m not sold on using this for RE. The models in the example video are only barely usable in computer games. For floorplans that really need room dimensions like 8’x10.5′, this just wouldn’t work without a lot of rounding logic.

This quote struck me, “apparently requiring no precision in use” because the models it creates certainly seem to have on precision in output either.

Larry, a few years ago, there was a new company that tried to get up an running here in Sarasota FL. They had a nice floor plan software they created, and we thought we could work together getting their Floor plans and my Photography together. I think the competition was too great here in Sarasota, so they re-located back in CA. The Partner Aaron, was very nice to talk to and think in time they could have gotten it to work here.

The company name was Plan-O-Matic and thought the floorplan idea was a good one. here is their website: http://www.planomatic.com/ Have any of our fellow Real Estate photographers in CA ever worked with them?

There’s a new product out now in the iTunes App store called “RedStick iCad”. (http://www.redstickcad.com) It works on both the Apple iPad and Android tablets. The Pro version has some great features. The Android version will accept bluetooth input from the appropriate Leica Disto model laser measure. I’ve been trialling it for a while now (without bluetooth unfortunately) and it cuts the time it takes me to produce the average floor plan in half! The development team are very responsive to customer feedback and enquiries.

It is a little quirky to get used to but, overall an exciting product for RE floor plans. You need to spend the extra $ on the Pro version though…..

I have been creating Interactive Floor Plans for about 5 years now. I recently teamed up with a couple web designers to build my own site and should be up and running within a couple weeks. In addition to offering the floor plan hosting, we will also be offering single page websites for listings, photo galleries, etc. It is going to be second to none.

I am also a Certified Residential Appraiser, so when it comes to measure homes I have a lot of experience in that area. I have measured over 3,000 homes in the past 10 years, and I average between 400 and 450 floor plans/photo shoots every year. I would be more than happy to share with you any insights I have and answer any questions you may have. tyler@insight-fp.com

I have a very effective system and I can usually measure and draw a detailed floor plan and photograph a 4,000 SF home in 90 minutes or less. Of course, that is shooting my ‘standard’ photos, not HDR or Twilight. Those shoots take a little longer onsite.

Here is a sample floor plan with standard photos: http://www.homesight.net/rss/tours/index4.php?id=23433 I was in and out of this house in about 45 minutes. Once you get the hand of the floor plan, they are a great way to increase your income per property and offer a service that the competition does not.

One success I have had is using http://www.invecheck.com, they let you create a floorplan for you listing and than create a 3D walkthrough video of it. It is all done within a browser and it is free, so cant complain.